The Girl Next Door
by BeneathTheUmbrella
Summary: 12 years in the life of the girl in apartment 7A, through the eyes of her next door neighbor.


_And here's my latest story. It's one I've been working on for a while, and one that I'm particularly proud of. It's told from another person's POV, someone I've mentioned in passing a couple of times in my other fics, and now I'm giving her time to shine, to share her thoughts on Tracy McConnell. As you all have probably noticed lately in my stories, I'm really enjoying filling in the blanks of Tracy's life. I hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

_2003_

* * *

Ida O'Donovan first met Tracy the day she moved into the building. She'd seen the stream of people visiting the vacant 7A unit next to hers, and finally, a girl no older than 19 and her boyfriend had moved in. She had initially been worried—she'd had many rowdy college students living next door to her over the years, after all—especially when she noticed the movers haul in a few guitars. But she was quickly surprised.

The teenager had come by the next day to introduce herself and her boyfriend, Max. And as the first few days went on, she'd see them in the hallway; they were always smiling and polite. And quiet. She barely heard a peep from her new neighbors, maybe the occasional bubbling of laughter, and when there _was_ music coming through the walls, she was surprised to hear the soft strums of a guitar, and occasionally the familiar sounds of a few traditional Irish ballads that she herself had grown up with as a child.

And as the months went by, Ida started to build a rapport with Tracy. She was rather lonely ever since her husband passed on. And it was so very nice and refreshing to have the occasional company in the evenings. Tracy was a kindred spirit—young and giddy in that way teenagers should be, but still wise beyond her years—and a lovely companion that Ida hadn't known she'd needed in her life.

* * *

"So how's school going, dear?" Ida asked, bringing a tray of tea to the coffee table. The musically-gifted girl was studying the piano at Juilliard, and they bonded quite a bit over their love of music, among other similar interests. Tracy had even promised to take her to the New York Philharmonic soon, as some of her acquaintances at the school could get them free tickets.

"It's going well! Amidst all the ear training and performance classes, the music history classes themselves are fascinating," Tracy said, accepting a mug of earl gray. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Donovan."

"Please, honey, call me Ida!" she insisted for what she felt was the hundredth time, sitting down next to her on the couch.

Tracy laughed. "Ok... Ida," she said hesitantly, then giggled. "I should get used to that."

Tracy had been coming by for tea every so often, usually on Friday evenings when Max was working at his part-time job. Ida was even teaching Tracy how to knit, which is what they were presently about to continue that evening.

Ida sometimes wondered why Tracy chose to spend her time with her, when she likely had people her own age she could hang out with. But Tracy would just wave her hand dismissively every time she'd bring it up. "Sometimes, a nice cup of tea with you is just what I need by week's end," she assured her.

Ida didn't complain. It was nice to have company. Her children both lived out of state, with their spouses and kids, so she didn't have much company save for the ladies at church and from the social club, as well as her bridge group. And Tracy was quite the polite young lady; none of the other college students who had lived in 7A ever bothered to knock on her door to say a simple hello.

"And how is Max?" she asked.

"He's well!" she said. "Business school is keeping him busy; I'm sure you haven't seen much of him in the hallway! Sophomore year is intense, so he spends a lot of time in the library and working on group projects. With that and his job, he's admittedly a bit overwhelmed."

"Well, I hope he takes some time for himself," she said, concerned. "Focusing too much on work isn't good for either the mind or the body."

"Oh, don't worry: Max and I always take some quiet time to unwind," Tracy assured her.

Ida gave her a teasing smirk. "I'm well aware of that, dear. My bedroom wall _is_ connected to yours, after all. Although that hardly counts as _quiet_ time, does it?"

She was pleased to see Tracy's face flush pink, moving her hand up to cover her eyes, embarassed. "Oh my _God_!" she whispered, shaking her head. "Um, I am _so_ sorry, Mrs. O'Donovan—"

"Ida..." she corrected her.

"Ida," Tracy repeated, blabbering now. "I am so so so very sorry. We just... Um, I'll make sure we keep it down from now on."

Ida simply laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't apologize, dear! I was just having my fun. Us old people aren't all prudes, you know," she told Tracy as she slowly uncovered her face. "I see nothing wrong with the happy sounds of young love. It reminds me of my first few years with Gerard, right after we were wed."

"How long were you and Mr. O'Donovan married?" asked Tracy as she peered over at the couch-side table, at the framed black-and-white photo of their wedding day.

"45 years," she said wistfully, gazing at the photo as well. "He died of cancer five years ago."

Tracy reached out her hand and gave hers a squeeze. "45 years sounds like a long and wonderful life together," she offered kindly.

Ida smiled. "Oh, it was. 45 years is a long time and, yet, it still feels like it wasn't enough," she said sadly. "But I am grateful for the life we had together, every single day, the good and the bad." She paused a bit to gather her emotions. "How about you? Is marriage in the plans for you and Max?"

"Well, we've been together since we were 16," Tracy said shyly. "And we've been through so much together these last three years, especially with his dad's illness and death back in the spring. So I think we can deal with the ups and downs of marriage, although that and kids is _such_ a long way away. But it's hard to imagine my life without him, you know?"

Ida noticed the smile on the young girl's lips, her eyes dancing as she spoke of Max. It was young love, sure, and what some may dismissively toss off as "puppy love". But Ida herself had married Gerry at 17 back in Ireland, and their marriage could only be described as happy, loving and successful. She knew Tracy, despite being so young, was serious about this young man, very much so.

"So marriage is a likely possibility," Ida noted.

"Down the pike, for sure," Tracy assured her. "But for now, things are perfect as they are."

Ida smiled fondly. "Well, enjoy it all until then. Marriage is a joyous experience, but it can change your relationship," she warned. "For the better, _of course_, but when little ones enter the picture, you'll occasionally miss the moments when it was just the two of you. So treasure these moments as much as possible. Because you never know how long they may last."

Tracy smiled back, reaching for her bag to pull out her knitting materials. "I've never taken a day with him for granted and I never will," Tracy told her softly, reassuringly. She held up an uneven square of knitted yarn for Ida to see. "Now, does this look like it could be a winter hat for Max, or a scarf?"

* * *

_2005_

* * *

"I'm going to be late," Ida muttered to herself as she rushed around her living room looking for her keys. She had a doctor's appointment that morning, and although she knew the doctor wouldn't take her at the scheduled time anyway due to the usual long wait times, she always preferred to be on time. Just in case.

She found her keys on top of the television set, momentarily trying to deduce why they'd be there in the first place, and then rushed to the door. Out in the hallway, as she started to lock up, she saw Tracy walking up the corridor, clutching a gift box to her chest. Ida then realized she had Tracy's birthday present in the apartment. She'd have to give it to her later that evening, she reminded herself.

Ida observed the young woman now, oddly wearing the same outfit she wore last night before heading out to her birthday celebration at the pub. Tracy wasn't the type to stumble home in the morning after a night of drinking and debauchery. So she knew something must be wrong.

As Tracy walked closer, Ida then noticed the smudged eye makeup. The wrinkled clothes. And an unusual look in her eyes: exhaustion, sadness, shock, and something else she couldn't put her finger on. But it worried her; even frightened her a little.

"Tracy, dear, are you alright?" she asked tentatively as Tracy walked by her.

Tracy stopped and just shook her head dully, not speaking, her gaze not even on Ida. She was just staring ahead of her, at her own apartment door.

"Sweetheart," she murmured soothingly, putting a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder, giving her a shake she'd hope would get her out of her daze. "What is it? Do you need help? Where's Max?"

And that's when Tracy turned to look at her. Her features quickly contorted in anguish, and she let out a crippling sob. Ida quickly grabbed Tracy and held her up before her body crumpled to the ground. The younger woman pressed her head to her shoulder as she continued to cry, uncontrollably so, using her free hand that wasn't holding on to the gift to grip Ida's arm tightly.

"Shhh. It's alright, dear," she said, her voice shaky, greatly worried about Max's whereabouts that caused Tracy get into this state. She deduced, however, that it must not have been good. But for now, she just hugged Tracy tight, kissed the top of her head, and gently led her into her apartment, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

_2010_

* * *

"And then she kissed me!" Tracy was saying in amazement, laughing as she took a sip of her tea. She had come by for a cuppa and some girl talk, their original plans to see a movie cancelled due to the heavy rain outside.

Ida chuckled as Tracy recounted the story from the previous evening, when her roommate Cindy came out to her... by giving Tracy a nice kiss on the mouth. "Good for her," she acknowledged. "No young person should ever hide who they really are. Love is precious, no matter what shape it takes."

"I'm happy for her too," Tracy agreed. "Shocked that she's been in love with me all this time, I'll admit, but I hope that she can now stop dating that parade of guys and find a nice girl to settle down with."

Ida knew there were a small number of men who would stop by the apartment since Cindy moved in; Cindy seemed to have an active dating life, and didn't refrain from putting herself out there in hopes of finding someone. (Even though she had unknowingly been looking for the wrong kind of person all this time.) But it made Ida sad that all the gentlemen who would walk up to apartment 7A were coming for Cindy, and never once was there someone calling on Tracy. She only wished Tracy put in a fraction of the effort that Cindy had been making to find love.

"So what about that young man Cindy said was in love with you?" Ida inquired. "Why not ask her for his phone number?"

Tracy laughed, her cheeks turning pink at the mention of him. "Him? He's not in love with me; he's never even _met_ me!" she said. "Besides, Ida, you know I'm not ready for all that again."

Ida sighed. "But didn't you say that it felt nice being kissed after all this time?"

The younger woman paused at that and looked down at her hands. "It _was_ nice," she admitted in a whisper. She then looked back up at Ida, tears in her eyes making them glisten. "But... I can't do that to Max. I just can't have another guy kiss me and hold me like he used to."

"Dear," she began, putting a hand on her knee. "Its been almost five years. You're young. It's time you put yourself out there again."

"I don't know, Ida," she admitted quietly. "Max was—he was _it_ for me. I mean, did _you_ want to move on after Mr. O'Donovan?"

Ida sighed. "Tracy, I had a lifetime with Gerry," she explained patiently. "You have you're whole life _ahead_ of you. You're beautiful, intelligent, funny, talented... You're depriving some very lucky young man out there the joy of being your boyfriend."

Tracy smiled shyly at that as Ida continued:

"You've made so many strides since his passing. You're emotionally stable again, you've travelled a bit, you went back to school and started a band... You're almost your old self again, and I am _so_ very proud of you. But you're still holding yourself back on finding love again."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You're sounding a lot like my mom."

"Well, your mother and I both want what's best for you," Ida acknowledged. "And if we have to be blunt to you about it, then so be it."

"I don't know, Ida," she admitted, turning to look out the window. "I'll be honest, I want to fall in love again. Life can get real lonely at times. But something inside me isn't letting Max go. I'm just not ready yet." The rain was still coming down, softer than it had earlier, the drops gently tapping away at Ida's living room window.

"But maybe," Tracy continued longingly, seemingly talking to herself now. "Maybe someday."

* * *

_2013_

* * *

Ida hadn't seen Tracy in a few days. She knew she had left for Long Island to play at a wedding over the weekend, and she must've returned home in the early hours of Monday morning. But she was greatly worried, mainly because Lewis had knocked on her door on Monday afternoon. He was holding a box containing some of his things—a few gadgets, clothes, and toiletries, from what she was able to notice—and handed her his key to Tracy's apartment.

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Can you please give this to Tracy when you see her?" he asked.

"Lewis, what happened?" Ida asked, concerned. "Did you two break up?"

Lewis sighed, and she saw the disappointed look in his eyes. "She... didn't see a future with me," he said simply, shaking his head.

Unfortunately, Ida wasn't too surprised. Through their conversations, she knew that Tracy's feelings for Lewis weren't all that strong. But the young lady had tried real hard to move on after Max, even though it took a few years. Lewis was a good start: he was nice and handsome; he and Tracy seemed to get along alright. Ida had hoped, in time, that Tracy would be able to move forward fully. So to now hear that she had broken things off with Lewis, Ida grew concerned that the girl was holding herself back once more, now moving deeper into the hole she had worked so hard to climb out of these past few years.

"Oh, dear," she said sincerely. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Lewis."

He just shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah," he said sadly, looking down at his shoes. "I only want her to be happy, even if it isn't with me. Anyway, take care of yourself, Ida."

He flashed her a smile and walked away. Ida watched his retreating back until he disappeared around the corner.

She would definitely have to have a chat with Tracy, Ida thought to herself, to get some more information on what had happened. She'd give Tracy a few days to mourn her break-up with Lewis. They had a standing appointment to watch _Woodworthy Manor_ together on Sunday evening, so they'd likely catch up then. She simply wanted to make sure she was doing alright.

A few days later on Saturday night, however, as Ida was leaving her apartment for book club, she noticed that Tracy had been doing quite alright, after all. More than alright, it seemed. Because as she opened her door and entered the hallway, she stilled when she spotted her next door neighbor.

Ida's eyes widened. _Well, _this _is interesting_, she thought.

Her back was pressed against her front door, and a young man had his hands to her waist, kissing her. He was whispering something against Tracy's lips, which made her laugh softly. Ida couldn't hear, but Tracy must've retorted with something amusing, because the young man was now chuckling and moved to tenderly kiss Tracy's forehead.

Ida noticed her eyes fluttering shut at his touch, her fingers grasping at the lapels of his jacket, and a small smile playing on her lips. Ida knew from the 10 years of knowing the girl that this meant that she was not only happy, but felt pretty safe and comforted. It was a look that Ida admittedly hadn't seen in the longest time; not with Lewis, and not since before Max passed away.

Neither of them had noticed her, and Ida pondered whether she should simply tiptoe away, unnoticed. But curiosity and utter joy got the best of her, so Ida moved to shut her front door—loudly—the noise pulling Tracy and her gentleman caller out of their little private world.

The young man pulled away, embarrassed, when he noticed her, and Tracy's cheeks turned pink. "Ida, hi!" she squeaked, surprised.

"Hello, dear," she said, smirking at Tracy. "How have you _been_?"

"I've been good! Good. Busy," she said, glancing over at the man shyly before looking back at her.

"So I see," Ida replied, not hiding the amusement in her voice.

"Oh, um, Ted," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "This is my friend and neighbor, Ida O'Donovan. We've lived next to each other for practically ever. Ida, this is... Ted. Ted Mosby."

Ted, with kind brown eyes, now smiled, put a little bit at ease. "Hello, Ida," he said, moving forward a few steps to shake her hand. "It's really nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Ted," she told him, accepting his handshake. "So, when did this happen? When did you two meet?"

Tracy laughed nervously, giving Ida an embarrassed look, the speed in which she had moved on from Lewis clearly on both their minds. "It all happened faster than I thought it would," she admitted. And Ida had to agree, but in a good way: for someone who moved painstakingly slow for so many years, it was thrilling to see her dive right into something quickly and, apparently, without hesitation.

"Hey, this has been _years_ in the making," Ted told her, practically in a dreamy tone.

Ida didn't know what that meant, but they stared sweetly at each other, as if they were sharing a secret that belonged to only them.

"We met on Sunday night," Tracy explained, unable to contain her smile now. "He was best man at that wedding the band was playing at."

Ida beamed. "Well, isn't that lovely?" she said sincerely.

Because as she watched Tracy now, she saw a glimmer of the happy young girl who first knocked on her door all those years ago. The girl whose laughter she used to hear through the walls. The girl who had believed in true love and destiny once upon a time. She was finally looking at a man again in a way Ida had hoped, and often prayed for. And Ted, he was gazing at Tracy the way she remembered Max used to; and the way Gerard, for 45 years, had looked at her. There certainly seemed to be quite a connection between the two; a stranger on the street would never be able to tell that they'd only been seeing each other for a few days.

"Anyway, I'm going to be late for book club," Ida said, wanting to let the two youngsters go about their evening. "Are we still on for tomorrow night?" She wished she could telepathically tell the girl, _And you will provide me with every teeny, tiny detail about this young man!_

"Of course!" said Tracy. "And I'll be sure to bake up some of those apricot scones again."

"What's tomorrow night?" Ted asked curiously.

"We have tea and watch _Woodworthy Manor_ together every Sunday night," Tracy explained to him.

"Right!" Ted said, excitement in his voice. "Tomorrow's the two-hour season finale. I hear Parson Smallsby's season-long destructive path is finally going to come to a head."

"Well, after he purposely over-watered Lady Chillsbury's roses and stole the Dowager's walking cane, I'm not surprised," Ida pointed out. "Would you like to join us, Ted?"

"Oh, thanks so much Ida," he said, embarassed. "But I wouldn't want to impose on your ritual."

"Nonsense!" Ida said. "I insist you join us! And Tracy's scones are just heavenly. As is everything she does."

Tracy just shook her head and blushed at the compliment, looking up at Ted and then quickly looking away as he gazed at her warmly. Ida took that as a sign that Ted already knew just how wonderful Tracy was.

"I don't doubt it," Ted murmured with a smile. "But I'd love to, then. My best friends are in Italy for the year, so with them gone, I was just going to sit home and watch it alone. So this sounds like much more fun."

"Well, it's a date then!" said Ida happily. "And I'll now leave you two to _your_ date. Ted, it was truly lovely meeting you. I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ida. I'll see you then," Ted said.

"And Tracy," she said softly, looking deep into the girl's eyes now. "_You_ have a good night."

It was a simple comment, but she knew Tracy would get the meaning behind it. For so long, she had refrained from allowing herself to be happy. Too many tears shed, too many lonely nights. Out of all people in this world, Tracy deserved the right to finally be happy. She deserved to have someone take care of her. And she deserved to have a lovely time with this young man, whatever they planned on doing behind her apartment door that evening.

Tracy gave her a bittersweet smile and nodded seriously. It seemed she did indeed know that she had earned what the universe was finally granting her: the potential for love, a chance to not be alone anymore, and the possibility of a bright future ahead. "I will," she vowed, as she took out her keys to unlock her door.

She let Ted enter the apartment first and then, before she closed the door behind her, gave Ida a wider smile... one brimming with joy, nervousness, and excitement. "Goodnight, Ida," she whispered, and shut the door.

Ida stood there for a brief moment, staring at the door. "Good girl," she uttered tenderly. "Now go on and live your life." And she turned around and walked down the hallway.

* * *

_2015_

* * *

"Oh, precious angel!" Ida cooed as she held Penny in her arms in a standing position, her little feet pressing down firmly on her thighs. The baby smiled and babbled as she gazed up at her. "I'm going to miss you so very much!"

"She's going to miss you, too," said Tracy, who was sitting next to them on Ida's sofa, smoothing down Penny's purple dress. "And so will I."

Ida looked over at the young woman and offered her a sad smile. She was going to miss her terribly.

A lot had changed since Tracy first started dating Ted. And a happily-ever-after quickly started to come together for both of them. Ted had moved in a little over a year into their relationship and, a couple of months later, they were engaged. And for the ultimate surprise, a pregnancy announcement came in the weeks that followed.

Time seemed to move along so fast, Ida thought, when before she knew it, a tiny, snuggly baby girl joined them in apartment 7A. And Ida couldn't help but want to be around little Penelope all the time, watching her closely during her three first months of life.

But now, their house in the suburbs was furnished and waiting for this little family. Apartment 7A was now vacant, possessions having been boxed and taken over to the house over the past few months, and furniture slowly being sold piece by piece. And with the car now stuffed and waiting downstairs, Tracy, Ted and Penny had stopped by to see Ida one final time before driving off.

Ida had practically watched Tracy grow up. The giggly, fun-loving girl who had loved and lost and then loved again was now a mother, and she couldn't have been any prouder of the life she'd made for herself. She protected Tracy like a granddaughter—but mostly loved her as a friend—and watching her grow and move forward with her life was what prompted Ida to decide to move to Maryland to live with her oldest son, Colin. She was getting older, nearing 80, and only seeing her sons and the grandchildren once or twice a year wasn't ideal. Time moves fast and life was fleeting; she wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible, for however time she had left.

Besides, she didn't think she'd ever have a neighbor as wonderful as Tracy, so the young woman moving out was the perfect opportunity for Ida to leave, as well.

"Tracy and I will be in the city pretty much every day, so we'll definitely come and visit until you have to leave for Baltimore," Ted offered.

"Yes!" Tracy agreed excitedly. "And Ted can come by anytime to pick you up and drive you up to Westchester. You _need_ to come see the house."

Ida chuckled and handed the baby over to Ted, who stood up to buckle her into her car seat. "I'll come visit," Ida assured her. "Colin isn't driving up until September, so we've got a little time left together."

Tracy sniffed, and Ida could see her eyes welling up with tears. "Now, now dear," she chided the girl gently, if only to help keep her own emotions in check. "Goodbyes are a part of life."

"I know," Tracy acknowledged, wiping at her eyes. "It's just... You were a huge part of my life, Ida. It's going to be _so_ weird not bumping into you in the hallway or enjoying tea together... I don't know what I'm going to do without you," she admittedly softly.

Ida felt a lump in her throat. Even Ted stood up from where he was crouched down playing with Penny in her car seat to give her shoulder a squeeze and kiss the top of her head. "You'll be fine," Ida assured her, reaching out a hand to caress her brown hair and stroke her cheek, consoling her like she had 10 years earlier after Max passed away. "I know for a fact that you are a strong and resilient young woman. Plus, you have Ted and Penny to think about. You'll be fine; more than fine, in fact."

Tracy sighed and gave Ida a brave nod. They all stood up and Ida ushered the family to her front door. She leaned over to smother Penny's little face with kisses, then accepted a warm hug and kiss from Ted. "Take care of both our girls, Theodore," she told him.

"I will," Ted vowed, looking over at Tracy and then down at Penny lovingly. "Promise."

"And you," Ida whispered, pulling Tracy into her arms, embracing her long and hard. Tracy's arms wrapped around Ida's body and squeezed her just as tight. "Be happy and simply love your fiancé and your baby girl as hard as possible. And enjoy the years ahead! I may not be around, but you will _always_ be on my mind and in my heart. Just continue to make me proud, ok?"

Tracy nodded. "You'll forever be in my heart too, Ida," she murmured as she pulled away. She took a deep breath and looked up at Ted. "You ready to go, hon?"

He pulled open the door and walked out into the hallway with Penny, Tracy stepping out behind him. Ida saw Tracy reach for Ted's free hand, lacing her fingers with his; he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Bye, Ida," Tracy said, maintaining her composure. "I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Very soon," she assured her. "Now you two get going. Drive safely."

Ida stood at her doorway, watching the couple walking further and further away. When they finally made it to the end of the corridor, Tracy gave a longing glance Ida's way before she, Ted and Penny dissapeared around the corner.

And they were gone.

Ida sighed and looked over at the door to the now vacant apartment 7A. She recalled the young girl who first walked through that door, and the grown woman who just stepped out of it. So many years, so many memories, she thought wistfully. Memories that she'd certainly cherish forever.

She gazed at the door one last time and, with a small smile playing on her lips, gently shut her front door.

_END_


End file.
